…and Some Better Protein Sources 

I am concerned about modern-day soy consumption. Many think of soy as a good, healthy protein choice. This is due in part, to studies over the years, which suggest that Asian women consuming small amounts of naturally fermented soy each day have a lower risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease. Cultures have traditionally incorporate naturally fermented foods in their diet. Fermented foods are essential for gut health and overall health. Our modern culture has unfortunately lost this tradition and we are now seeing the effects: poor gut health leads to chronic disease. Some of these studies merely confirm what we already know: naturally fermented foods should be a staple in our diet. However, it does not necessarily point to soy as protective or beneficial.

While naturally fermented, non-GMO soy may have some health benefits, excessive intake of soy, as is common in the US, is unhealthy and potentially dangerous. It is something I personally avoid.

Here are a few of my concerns about soy:

  • Soy contains an anti-nutrient, phytic acid, which inhibits nutrient absorption.
  • Soy is a phytoestrogen, and Americans, for the most part, already have excessive levels of estrogens stored in their body due to environmental xenoestrogens and unhealthy living. Besides causing hormone imbalance, soy intake may increase the risk for estrogen-dependent cancers.
  • Soy may disrupt normal thyroid function (especially when non-fermented soy is consumed regularly).
  • Soy formulas are all too common for babies. Yet babies were never meant to consume such high amounts of soy! We should be very concerned both about the anti-nutrient effect and the hormonal impact long term for those raised on soy formula. As a phytoestrogen, soy formulas could be responsible for causing early-onset puberty in girls and impaired fertility in both males and females.

Read labels to see how frequently soy is added to packaged foods. You are most likely consuming more than you realize. Americans consume very high amounts of processed soy, knowingly (via soymilk) and unknowingly (soy is a cheap protein added to many processed, pre-packaged foods).

There are Better Options!

Here are some of my favorite protein sources:

  • Eggs: Organic free-range eggs are an excellent source of protein, good fats, and many wonderfully beneficial nutrients.
  • Grass-Fed Beef: I personally avoid grain-fed beef as it is inflammatory and lacking many of the health benefits found in grass-fed beef.
  • Pasture-Raised Pork and Lamb
  • Fish and Seafood: Wild-caught is best
  • Certain Types of Dairy if tolerated.
    • Organic Unsweetened Full-Fat Yogurt – Goat or Sheep is more tolerable for some
    • Cheeses – Manchego and Romano are some of my favorites.

 

 

 

 

Weston A. Price Foundation. Soy Alert! 2009 March. Available at: http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/soy-alert-brochure
Doerge D, Sheehan D. Goitrogenic and estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. Environ Health Perspect. 2002;110(3):349-353.
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Table19Soyintakeandbreastcancerrisk.html